RUGBY All Black Match Today May Be A “Fifth Test”

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29234, 18 June 1960, Page 7

RUGBY All Black Match Today May Be A “Fifth Test”

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.)

(Rec. 9.30 p.m.) PRETORIA. June 17. Late withdrawals through injury have weakened the Northern Transvaal fifteen which the All Blacks will meet tomorrow, but the match is still expected to be the “fifth test” .of the tour. Always a strong side, which invariably finishes well up in the South African Currie Cup interprovinciial competition, Northern Transvaal will be the bestbalanced side the All Blacks have met so far, with a heavy forward pack and a backline which includes a number of possible test players. The match is expected to draw’ a '‘sell-out” crowd of 30 to 40 thousand, and will be played at Loftus Versfeld Park, which is in perfect order. Northern Transvaal has already beaten Boland, which gave a fine

performance against the All Blacks last Saturday, but it has lost its two most recent matches to Orange Free State and Western Transvaal. " Knowing this will be a hard match, the All Black selectors have chosen, with two exceptions, the team which is alfnist certain to be fielded against South Africa in the first test at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, next week. Peter Jones In Team Although his eyebrow gash is not healed completely, P. F. H. Jones has been chosen for the side row, mainly because of the weight problem—the Northern Transvaal forwards average 15} stone a man. Apart from the problem of finding the best inside back combination—which seems to be resolved with the Briscoe-Adrian ClarkeLi neen selection—the centre and left wing berths have been causing the selectors concern. Should K. F. Laidlaw and R. F. McMullen come through this match well, they could be the men the selectors are looking for. J R. Watt, on the right wing, is playing better Rugby than at any other time of his career, and has made his test place safe from the start This will be his sixth consecutive match, and he has played well in all of them. At full-back. D. B. Clarke, who

has had bad luck with his goal kicking so far, will have a chance of redeeming himself in the eyes of South African critics if he returns to form tomorrow. He has been having concentrated kicking sessions with a high percentage of success, usually with his brother, I. J. Clarke, acting as a "spotter” for him. The Northern Transvaal team chosen by five selectors (two of them 1956 Springboks, S. S. Viviers and Salty Durand) includes Jaap Bekker and eight others who have been either Springboks in the last few seasons, or Springbok trialists this year. Several of the side have already played against the All Blacks, appearing in the Combined Univerisities team in the opening match of the tour at Potchefstroom.

The fly half, A. Prinsloo, who made a fine impression in that match, and is a strong contender for Springbok honours, is one of those who have had to withdraw from the match because of injury. Others are Bekker's younger brother and fellow-prop. Martiens. The Teams All Blacks.—D. B. Clarke; R. F. McMullen. K. F. Laidlaw, J. R. Watt; T. R. Lineen, A. H. Clarke; K. C. Briscoe; R. J. Conway; W. D. Gillespie, C. E. Meads, I. N. Mac Ewan, P. F. H. Jones; W. J Whineray, D. Young, I. J. Clarke. Northern Transvaal.—D. Holton; L. Fourie, J. Pieterse, S. van Rensburg; R. Twigge, G. Antelme: T. Borquin; R. Myburgh; W. Vermaas. S. van der Merwe, W. Matthyser, H. Deklerk; M. Meyburgh. D. van der Heevr, J. Bekker.